Managing the Details
Section 9: Managing the Details
Calendar Form: Eight Team Formation Meetings 9-2
Checklist: Retreat Preparation and Follow-Up 9-3
Creating a Presence 9-7
Evaluation Responses from a Retreat 9-9
List of Materials and Supplies for Conducting the Retreat. 9-12
Notes for Retreat Master 9-13
Notes for the Stage Manager 9-15
Agenda—Detailed (fill-in form) 9-25
Agenda—Friday Evening 9-32
Agenda—Saturday Morning 9-33
Agenda—Saturday Afternoon 9-34
Agenda—Follow-up Evening 9-35
Team Discernment Invitation 9-36
© 2007 Living Faith at Work40 University Avenue, Akron, OH 44308 www.livingfaithatwork.org / 9-1
Calendar Form
Eight Team Formation Meetings
Dates1. A Call to Serve
2. Spirituality of Everyday Life
3. Mission and Ministry of the Laity (witness given -- Growing in a Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ)
4. The Spiritual Path of Love (includes witness by the same name)
5. The Spiritual Path of Work (includes witness)
6. Liturgy in Life: Strengthening the Connections (includes witness)
7. Social Justice: An Essential Part of Love and Work (witness given -- Sent to Love and Do Justice)
8. Living Prayerfully: Being Centered and Sent (witness given --Resources for Deepening in Faith)
© 2007 Living Faith at Work
40 University Avenue, Akron, OH 44308 www.livingfaithatwork.org / 9-1
Checklist: Preparation and Follow-Up
Background
1. History
2. Rationale
a. Theology
b. Cultural need
c. Personal need
Preparing the Team
1. Determine probable date of the Retreat
2. Determine/review criteria for membership
a. Diversity of background
b. Diversity of skills
c. Demographic diversity
d. Parish representation
i. Variety of parishes?
ii. Variety of parish ministries
3. Contact potential members
4. Initial team meeting
a. Get to know those present
b. Set ground rules for operation
5. Description of roles
a. Brief overview of various roles
6. Discernment of roles
7. Distribute job descriptions
8. Review information about adult learning
9. Facilitator keep the meetings and process moving
10. Scribe keep records of meetings and decisions taken
Preparation for the Retreat
1. Confirm/reserve date of retreat
2. Confirm/reserve facility for the retreat
3. Publicity—securing participants for the retreat
a. Parish bulletin announcements
b. Pulpit announcements
i. Tied in with brochures in pew (provide pencils)
ii. Consider having team members make the announcement
c. Personal invitations—e.g., face-to-face or by phone
d. Posters placed around church, rectory, and school.
e. Brochures placed in pews and book rack
f. Ask parish ministry leaders to announce at meetings.
4. Preparing the talks—Teachings and Witnesses
a. Review the outlines/essential points
b. Review sample talks
c. Write first draft talk
d. Present to the team and receive feedback; repeat as necessary
e. Revise talk based on feedback; repeat as necessary
f. Time the talk for length
g. Review the questions provided in the manual
i. Revise as needed
ii. But keep the variety of question types
5. Preparation of hospitality
a. Review detailed job description in the manual; adapt as appropriate
b. Secure additional help as necessary
c. Reserve the room
d. Reserve the kitchen, if necessary
e. Order the lunches
f. Clean up; leave the place cleaner than you found it.
6. Preparation of Prayer experiences
a. See detailed job description in the manual
b. Recruit music personnel to assist with prayer experiences
c. Coordinate with parish clergy/staff
7. Prepare handouts
a. Gather all the handouts—picture ready copies
b. Verify that copying the materials does not violate copyright laws.
c. Duplicate the handouts just before the Retreat—enough for participants and team members
d. Organize the handouts for distribution
8. Prepare agenda for the Retreat
a. Use the topics from the manual
b. Adjust the times on the agenda for your circumstances
c. Provide copies to the team members who have responsibilities during the retreat
9. Prepare an evaluation questionnaire
a. Review evaluation questionnaire provided in the manual
b. Revise it as needed to fit the Retreat as actually planned and presented
c. Make copies for all participants and team members]
10. Arrange for people to pray for the retreatants and the success of the Retreat
a. Include in Prayer of the Faithful at Mass
b. Parish Prayer Line
c. Shut-ins
d. Youth and children
e. Prayer card in the pews to be read by the assembly
11. Arrange the physical facilities
a. Plan the arrangement of space, furniture, and equipment for the Retreat
b. Contact the appropriate personnel and share your plans/needs.
12. Stage Manager review job description for preparation tasks
During the Retreat
1. During the informal gathering all team members warmly greet and welcome participants. Assist them to get ready for the retreat. Introduce those you know to each other.
2. Team members participate in the retreat activities when not performing specific assignments.
3. Team members do assigned tasks at the appropriate times
4. Stage Manager review job description for detail of responsibilities.
5. Prayer Coordinator review job description for detail of responsibilities
6. Food Coordinator review job description for detail of responsibilities
After the Retreat
1. Team members
a. Write notes about what they did and how they did it.
b. Follow up meeting
c. Review evaluation
d. Make suggestions for improving the retreat in the future
e. Return any parish or facility owned materials
f. Continue to pray for the participants
g. Consider agreeing to coach a team presenting a future retreat
2. Follow up with/for Participants
a. Get names, addresses, phone, and email
b. Invite them to participate in future retreats as a team member
c. Invite them to talk up the retreat to their parish leadership
d. Ask them to talk about their experience with their acquaintances
e. Consider helping them to arrange a parish or regional reunion of those who have participated in a Christ Renews His World Retreat.
f. Consider a personal letter (each team member takes 2 or 3 participants) following up on the retreat thanking the participants and encouraging them to remember their commitments.
g. Consider mailing a reading or two as follow up 6 to 9 months after the retreat.
Marketing
1. Getting into the parishes
a. Personal approach to parish leadership
i. Pastor
ii. Associate pastor
iii. Pastoral minister(s)
iv. Pastoral Council members
v. Leaders of appropriate ministries, e.g., spiritual development, evangelization, retreats
b. Invite past participants to speak of their experience to the parish leadership.
c. Presentations at regional or district clergy and pastoral staff meetings
d. Get a diocesan newspaper article published
2. Integrate the retreat experience within the cycle of parish events, e.g., missions, lent, advent, fall, retreats
3. Prepare materials relating the retreat experiences and results to the ordinary life events of the parish.
© 2007 Living Faith at Work40 University Avenue, Akron, OH 44308 www.livingfaithatwork.org / 9-1
Creating a Presence
Preferably the room is arranged with chairs in an open circle prior to the arrival of the participants. This is for a purpose. In a circle all people are equal—there is no power position or power figure. It also enables everyone to see every one else. This exposes the full person. It is a more vulnerable and self-conscious position.
This activity should take place immediately after the welcoming message and statement of the purpose of the retreat. The introduction might note the purpose of the retreat and some brief information about the team members.
We all come to meetings with some measure of apprehension or uncertainty about what will happen. This exercise allows this apprehension to be stated. This particular activity does the following:
· Establishes a model for listening with respect, a knowing that each person will be heard.
· Establishes a verbal territory for each participant, a sense of potential entry.
· Requires access to both the left and the right brain, engaging the “whole brain.”
· Allows apprehensions and hopes for the meeting to be expressed.
· Brings people into the “here and now.”
· Provides initial information to the facilitator and team members.
The circle represents symbolically and behaviorally the move toward equity, toward acknowledgement of diversity, toward the need for community, toward the need for consensus.
After the introduction the facilitator, explains that everyone is to create their presence in the room, in a verbal way. This consists of answering three questions. The facilitator reads or recites all three questions then answers them. Finally, the facilitator reads/recites the questions again so that the participants are reminded what they are to do.
The first of the three questions may be varied to suit the situation. The second and third questions do not vary. The questions are:
1. Introduce yourself and WHAT YOU BRING TO THIS RETREAT EXPERIENCE—YOUR BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCES.
2. What are your expectations of this RETREAT?
3. How do you feel about being here?
After the facilitator has stated the questions the second time, his/her role changes to facilitator and listener. The facilitator is to foster each person speaking in turn, while listening intently to what they say. The importance is to establish a model for listening, by assuring the speaker that at least one person in the group is listening to him/her.
When the circle is complete, the facilitator may choose to summarize the expectations and feelings expressed by the group.
Louis Trenta 2001
Evaluation Responses from a Retreat
1. What personally struck you in what you heard and in what you experienced during this weekend renewal?
· How many people are happy because of their relationship with God. They live their faith and are willing to share it. They know God and love him. Ordinary people doing extra-ordinary things. (3)
· The ritual with the sand, pebbles, and stones was very meaningful & hit home (4)
· That there are so many wonderfully spiritual people in our parish that I was unaware of (5)
· The openness and honesty of the participants. The sharing was very good (6)
· This was a very timely and positive Lenten experience. With all that is happening in our world the weekend served as necessary time-out for reflection (7)
· AOK (8)
· I was amazed by the depth of faith of the team members who gave witnesses. They had a great deal to share and each of their talks had something that struck me (9)
· Everything came together with a minimum of confusion; everyone seemed to participate and enjoy the weekend (10)
2. What did you like about the weekend renewal?
· The witnesses and teachings (1)
· The witness talks – some more, some less (2)
· Sharing. The witnesses sharing their experiences with God. The attendees sharing their feelings about what they were learning (3)
· I liked the fact that we had the teaching talks in addition to the witnesses (4)
· See below – virtually everything was EXCEPTIONAL (5)
· Everything – The teaching and witness talks tied in good. Staff participating showed their support. The commissioning at 5 PM Mass included the entire parish (6)
· The opportunity to interact with wonderful people from a variety of backgrounds (7)
· everything (8)
· It was very well organized and the team kept very well to the schedule. The food was excellent and the weekend was very informative. The music Darlene provided was very moving. (9)
· How everyone got involved and shared (10)
3. In what ways could this weekend renewal be improved?
· It was very good as it was (1)
· I don’t necessarily think this weekend renewal has to be improved. The witnesses were good and the time went fast although Saturday was a long day. (2)
· I don’t see how it could be improved. Everything was done so that each person could relate to something. So many viewpoints. So many different experiences. (3)
· I felt there was too much for the time we had. Maybe less sharing time – only once each time instead of small groups and large groups. (4)
· Content, organizers – all was excellent. Logistically if possible provide an agenda to the participants with general time frames for all days and activities – note where food is provided; possibly provide names of renewal team leaders and participants for future reference (5)
· Instead of sharing after each teaching and witness – share once after the combined teaching and witness would allow more free time and less hectic schedule (6)
· It would have been nice to know about the pizza on Friday night to enable participants to skip dinner! (7)
· More time or less witnesses (8)
· The times on the flier were incorrect and I had to change some things I had planned. I would have like to move around a little more. It was a long time to sit in the same room. (9)
· The rituals could have been practiced a little more; the final witness could have been shorter to allow for reflection time and possible evaluation time (10)
4. Please rate the following renewal components:
Component / Poor / Fair / Average / Good / GreatFacilities
/ 7,9,10 / 1,2,3,4,5,6,8Food / 2,7,10 / 1,3,4,5,6,8,9
Handout Materials / 1,2,5,9,19 / 3,4,6,7,8
Witnesses / 2 / 1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Rituals / 3,9 / 1,2,7,10 / 4,5,6,8
Personal Interactions / 2,4,6,9 / 1,3,5,7,8,10
Music / 3,6 / 1,2,4,5,7,8,9,10
5. Additional Comments:
· Was a good experience – open – low key – a lot to think about (4)
· Particularly Darlene & the personally chosen music. The team did a fantastic job (5)
· I hope others will respond to future invitations (7)
· more time/less witnesses – not enough time for interpersonal reactions (8)
· Music selection after witnesses/teachings was very positive (10)
© 2007 Living Faith at Work40 University Avenue, Akron, OH 44308 www.livingfaithatwork.org / 9-1
List of materials and supplies for conducting the retreat.
Complete, detailed agenda with names of people responsible for each item
Name tags and markers